Figure 13: Cutaway view of a typical elevator of
the late nineteenth century. Grain is brought in by rail (1) and weighed (2), then dumped
into a hopper (3). A conveyor belt with cups then transports the grain to the head (4) at
the top of the elevator where it is directed by a movable spout (5) to individual bins
(6). The bins are funnel shaped at the bottom allowing downloading by gravity.